SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — South Fulton residents are questioning some of the things their mayor has purchased over the last few months, including a trip to Africa.
It’s a trip to Africa South Fulton resident Reshard Snellings says he questions if it was on the city’s dime.
Resident Reshard Snellings told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln that the Mayor of South Fulton Khalid Kamau, who now goes by the name Mayor Kobi, documented his 20-day December trip to Ghana on Instagram.
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Snellings is questioning if that trip was on the city’s dime.
“I wanted to find out if taxpayers paid for this trip,” Reshard Snellings said. “We should not be asked to go without something so that our elected officials can travel all over the globe.”
Bank records from a city-issued credit card show nearly $26,000 spent between October and December on unauthorized travel, food and other expenses.
Lincoln asked Councilwoman Helen Z. Willis if South Fulton was doing any business in Africa.
“Not to my knowledge, that isn’t even a priority,” Willis told Lincoln.
Councilwoman Wills says this week the council has been investigating the purpose of the mayor’s trip and his spending.
“We need more economic development here and we don’t need to go to Africa in order for the city to have a multi-business deal,” she said.
Channel 2 Action News went through documents and discovered multiple plane tickets totaling more than $5,000, including an Air Kenya flight worth more than $1,500.
There’s also a purchase for a $1,300 drone. According to documents, the mayor also made multiple purchases from Amazon, with one purchase totaling more than $1,800.
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Willis says the mayor has violated the city’s charter and several policies by not getting approval for multiple purchases, but also purchasing items that are not approved for spending.
According to the city’s P-Card policy, employees are required to obtain written authorization from the Purchasing Director and City Manager. Willis says the mayor did not do that for these purchases. The policy also indicates individual meals and beverages not associated with approved travel and electronics are prohibited purchases.
“We have an approval form that we submit to the city manager for her to approve, that wasn’t done,” said Willis.
Lincoln spoke with Mayor Kobi briefly. He told her he did nothing wrong and the criticism is politically motivated.
“It’s really a smear campaign. You will see in the meetings, the people who are talking the most are running for mayor in 2025,” the mayor said.
Mayor Kobi would not answer why he hasn’t submitted 112 outstanding receipts for multiple purchases. City of South Fulton policy states receipts must be submitted within 72 hours after a purchase.
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